The Night Roles

Intoducing....

The saboteurs: Heathurt, Rodren, Gemarie, Will, Caitlyn

The doctors: Terrie, Jay

The detectives: Deena, Sadie, Josh

Hope we'll get a good game going in the future.

NIGHT 4: Bdeep, Bdeep, Bdeep, That's All Folks!

Just as the sun was going down a great crowd approached the gates of the work site. The crew stopped what they were doing to see what was going on. They recognized the group as being people from their own town of Littleton. Many of them were the ones who opposed the Wal-mart store being built. Foreman Hicks walked to the gate to meet them. At the head of the group was Mayor Thomas and a well known, long-time resident of Littleton, Mrs. Shirley Hutchinson.

"Foreman Hicks," started Mayor Thomas, "we are here to shut you down."

"Why? We have over a week before the deadline. What's going on?" replied Hillary.

"Mrs. Hutchinson has discovered that you are building on sacred Indian burial grounds. The construction must be halted at once and the whole building torn down immediately," said Mayor Thomas.

Shirley was one of the lead people in the cause to shut down Wal-mart. She hadn't ceased in her attempts to stop the store from coming to their town because she was sure it would ruin the town forever. She had seen it happen to other towns. With her expert skills as a historian, she was able to uncover the records that proved without a doubt that the ground was indeed Indian burial grounds. She was so excited when she presented her findings to the town council. She knew they would have no choice but to shut down the construction of the store. She wore a triumphant smile as the mayor told Foreman Hicks of the situation.

Foreman Hicks returned to her crew and said, "Well, guys, I guess that means we should pack up. We are finished here. I'll try talking to Wal-mart tomorrow about getting us some compensation for our time and energy. After all, it's not our fault the grounds are sacred. Wal-mart should have investigated better before they decided to build here."

Everyone looked pretty tired and a little disappointed, but most were glad to see this job over with. It had torn their little construction crew family apart and some had even been hurt in the process. Sarah piped up and said, "We probably wouldn't have been able to come together to agree on a firing today anyway, Hillary. We were divided again, this time about Jeff and Rodren. We just couldn't get enough of us to vote one way or the other and a good bunch of us refused to vote at all. We sure don't function well as a team anymore. This has been a bad experience for us. We should go on a team building experience together."

"That's a great idea!" added Emily, "Let's all go to Hawaii!" So that's what they did, after Jay, Jana, Sadie and Deena were healed enough to join them. They even invited Jason to come too (especially because they felt so bad for firing him without cause). No one even cared that there had been saboteurs in their midst. They forgave, forgot and moved on. After all, that's what family is all about.

I'm sorry to do this, but it was like pulling teeth to get people to play this time. It's been over a week and we still don't have great participation. I figured with it being the second "day" in a row without a firing it was time to call it quits. I'm sorry for those of you who actually were playing. I know this only hurts you, but we really couldn't finish the game without full participation. I didn't see the need to drag it out until the end of May going the way it was. We should probably take a break from the game for a while and maybe start to play again in the summer when more people might have some more time.

I think it will be fun to see who everyone thinks are the night roles. If you would like to post your hunches then I will tell all tomorrow and you can compare. Remember there is one more doctor and detective that we don't know and all five mafia members. Have fun naming them.

NIGHT 3: The saboteurs hit a home run

Everyone dreaded going to work today. They knew they would probably find at least one member of the crew hurt or worse. They had no idea who it would be. Last night, the crew had made an agreement to go to work together, arriving at the same time. They thought it might keep more of them safe. This way they could watch each others' backs.

When they arrived, they were surprised to see two police cars parked at the front gate of the construction site. Before they could count heads to make sure everyone was there, they rushed into the office to see what was going on. Just outside of the office, deeply immersed in conversation, they found Foreman Hicks and Sheriff Bigman. Standing around them were three of Littleton's finest deputies.

"We will get to the bottom of this. It has become personal now," they overheard Sheriff Bigman say as he turned to go back to his squad car. He motioned to the deputies to follow.

"What's going on here?" Jeff asked Foreman Hicks.

"Well, it seems that two of the undercover cops who have been implanted within our crew were taken out last night," Hillary replied slowly. Everyone gasped simultaneously as Hillary continued, "The police department received a tip last night that someone was poking around the site breaking things. The sheriff dispatched the undercover cops because they knew the site and the crew well. He thought that it might have been the saboteurs setting up another trap and he wanted his undercover crew to catch them in the act. Around 1 am, the sheriff was called by one of the undercover cops and told that things had gone very badly and that back-up and an ambulance were needed right away. When the back-up arrived, they found Deena and Sadie unconscious next to the cement mixer. The third undercover cop explained that they had split up to cover more ground. After only a few minutes, the two women screamed. The other cop ran to find them. There they were, badly beaten and on the ground next to them were a couple of baseball bats. They hadn't even had time to get their guns out of their holsters. The ambulance took them to the hospital. I've heard from the doctors and they report that both Deena and Sadie will make full recoveries, but will have to recover for several days as their bodies are badly bruised. Deena has a broken arm and Sadie has a broken leg, but they will be O.K."

As Hillary finished the explanation, Matthew spoke up, "What are we going to do about this?!?! We have to fire someone. We can't be wishy-washy now. Two of the three undercover cops and one of our doctors are gone. We have very little help now. Let's pull together and get these saboteurs before they ruin everything!"

Deena and Sadie are detectives. Because they are hurt, they won't be able to comment for three days or play their night roles. They will return on May 12th. This day will end at midnight tomorrow, May 4th. There are 15 players remaining. You will need 8 votes to fire.

Day 2: What a bummer day

After Jana was taken to the hospital, Foreman Hicks called a meeting. She told her crew that they needed to come together and support one another through this rough, confusing time. No one could understand why their own friends would be so terrible to them. She urged them to pick someone else to fire and they all hoped it would be one of the saboteurs this time.

However, many of the crew were very disheveled. After only a few hours of work, Sadie, Deena and Jeff decided to just go home. So without a word to anyone, they just left. Some of the crew were so upset that they barely spoke to anyone. Those crew members talked just enough to give their idea as to who should be fired and then they too went home before the end of the day. Foreman Hicks was beside herself to know what to do to boost the moral of her team. She knew that if her crew wasn't around to do their work that the store would never be finished even if they did find all the saboteurs.

Just before 6 pm, the crew that stuck it out through the whole day met at the office. They were divided as to who should be the next fired. Half wanted Matthew fired and half wanted Rodren fired. Neither side would budge and so Foreman Hicks had no choice but to let them all go home with their jobs. A majority vote could not be reached and so it had to be this way. Everyone went home pretty disappointed. They knew that this night the saboteurs would probably strike again and they had done nothing to try to prevent it. They hoped the next victim(s) would escape whatever fate the saboteurs were plotting.

It is now "night." The construction workers were unable to get a majority vote for any one person so no one was fired. All the "night" roles need to report to Hillary by midnight tonight. I will stop the game if I don't hear from ALL the night roles. There is no point in trying to continue playing if not everyone is willing to participate.

NIGHT 2: Down the Hole

Jana is usually the first person to the work site in the morning. She likes to get started on her jobs right away so she can be finished more quickly and get home to her darling little girl. This morning was no different. When Jana arrived to the site all was still and calm. The sun was just beginning to break over the tops of the trees to the east. It was a little chilly, but it was a beautiful spring morning. As she approached her work area she noticed it wasn't quite right. Before she could put her finger on what was wrong, she .....

The rest of the crew arrived about 20 minutes later. They began to go to their different jobs and start the day's work. They were a little upset with themselves about firing Jason. He was such a hard worker and they knew they would miss his contributions terribly. Angela would finally get to operate the crane today, but she wasn't really happy about it; not like she thought she would be. No one thought that the saboteurs would strike again so soon, until Gemarie screamed.

Everyone looked to see what was wrong. Gemarie was looking down into a large hole in the ground. As they all approached, they could see Jana lying at the bottom of the hole in a heap of boards. It was a boobie-trap and Jana was the boobie and the next saboteur victim. She wasn't moving and everyone was scared for the worst. This time Heather called 911 and the ambulance came immediately.

The EMT's worked very carefully to pull Jana out of the hole. They found a pulse on her wrist but said it was very faint. They rushed her into the ambulance and took her away. The crew just stood around and looked at each other. How could this have happened again? Josh suggested they spread out and search for more traps. He reminded them that two people should've been hurt the last time, so maybe the saboteurs had set up more traps lastnight. They searched the whole site and found no more traps. They were slightly relieved, but also realized that the saboteurs had purposely placed their trap where Jana would be. Why would they target her? She was only a good mom and a hard worker.

Foreman Hicks called another meeting. She explained that they should think very hard about who might want to get Jana and then fire them quickly. Hillary was very upset that her dear sister would be a target!

Later on that day, the hospital called Hillary and told her that Jana had pulled through but that she had some pretty serious internal injuries and would need to stay in the hospital for quite a while. Hillary told the rest of the crew. They were very happy that Jana had made it, but were very upset that there were malicious people in their crew and they were determined to find them!

Jana is a construction worker. As she was the only victim lastnight, she will be out for 5 days. Her return day will be May 15th. Because she is injured she can't comment until she returns. This "day" period will go from now until midnight tomorrow, May 1st, at midnight. If you know someone who hasn't commented yet, please give them a call and see if they still want to play. Thanks.

DAY 1 (this is actually the first day) Grudges win over

For(wo)man Hicks called a special meeting and told everyone that the only way to weed out the saboteurs was to begin firing them. That way they wouldn't be allowed at the work site any longer. She asked her crew to come up with names of people they thought should be fired. She didn't think she could pick out any one person on her own. They had been a crew together for a long time and she was very emotionally attached to all of them.

As the day progressed, it was obvious that Angela's strong disdain for Jason was coming through. She had hated him ever since he had been promoted to the crane operator over her. She thought he, of all people, had the greatest opportunity to drop filled buckets from high places because of his access to the crane. She also noticed that the crane was not that far from the tool shed. She thought for sure, Jason must be the culprit.

At once, she started to recruit people to her side. She was able to convince her sisters, Emily and Sarah right away. As the group saw them join Angela, they started to fall in line. Everyone was pretty shook up with the injury of Jay and knew that it could of been them. They felt that it was better to get rid of someone than to not do anything at all. Even Jana, Jason's dear wife, was convinced at first. However, he was able to talk her out of it before the end of the day.

Foreman Hicks told them they would need a majority of the crew to convince her of a crew member's guilt. Before punch-out time, Angela and her supporters approached Hillary and explained their position. They were very convincing and Hillary agreed that Jason should be the one fired.

Hillary gave Jason his final pay check and as he walked away he yelled over his shoulder, "Thanks for nothing all of you who I thought were my friends. I'm not the saboteur who hurt Jay. But now I can go on that long awaited vacation to Florida because I don't have to work with you blind sheep anymore!"

Jason was a construction worker (townie). Now that he has been fired he can no longer comment and he will not be returning. This is now "night". It will last until midnight on Wednesday. Please contact me if you have a night role.

DAY 1: One Down, One Saved!

Foreman Hicks usually allows her crew the day off on Sunday, but with the deadline only 2 weeks away and the store not quite finished, she had to require them to work today. As the crew dragged themselves onto the work site at 5:30 am, they greeted each other sleepily. They were to begin working by 6 and most of them liked to get started early so the day would be over faster. By 6:30 however, Jay was no where to be found and everyone was very worried. Jay was usually very dependable and it was not like him to not show up for work without calling. As Angela was about to get the tools out of the tool shed she heard something. She looked behind the shed and found Jay, lying on the ground moaning. He was bleeding badly from his head. Angela shouted for help and everyone rushed over.

Jason pulled out his cell phone and called 911. Jay was incoherent but alive; for that everyone was thankful. There was a big bucket laying next to his head. Nails were spilling out of the top. It looked like someone had dropped the bucket from the crossbeams above.

Sadie looked around and saw a second bucket laying on the ground. This one was full of rivets. She pointed it out to the rest of the crew. They looked and saw foot prints going away from the area and everyone knew that the second bucket had been meant for someone else, but they must have been pushed out of the way at the last second. Thank goodness for a good Samaritan, looking out for one of their own.

The ambulance arrived to take Jay to the hospital. The EMT said that it looked as though Jay would make a full recovery in a few days but that he'd need to stay at the hospital for observations. The EMTs commented to each other that it was odd that Jay would be working construction since he is an MD after all.

As Jay was being pushed into the back of the ambulance he gained consciousness enough to shout, "Tis only a flesh wound. I've had worse!"

Now it is the day time. As you work on the site you talk amongst yourselves and decide whom to fire. You must make sure that as many of you stay safe as possible. "Day" will last until midnight on Monday. You will need 10 votes for a majority firing. Remember those that are fired are finished with the game. As Jay is now incapacitated at the hospital, he can't comment. He will be allowed back on Tuesday, May 7th.

Welcome to Littleton!

Welcome to Littleton. This is usually a very quiet, peaceful town. Most of the people were born and raised here and everyone knows and loves everyone. Lately, however, the townspeople have been in turmoil. The Wal-mart Corporation has decided to build a new store on the outskirts of town. Some of the townspeople are excited about the prospect of cheaper groceries and other items. Some hate the idea of Wal-mart coming in to destroy the nice hometown feeling of their town. The city council granted Wal-mart the permit to build but with the condition that the store be finished by 05-10-08. If it isn’t finished by that date, then the permit will expire, the unfinished building will be demolished to make way for a nature preserve, and the construction crew will not be paid.
It is now two weeks from the deadline. The townspeople that don’t want a Wal-mart store are desperate. They have tried many different ways to stop the construction from going forward, but nothing has worked yet. In a last attempt, they have managed to pay off a few of the construction workers to sabotage the work site so the job won’t be finished by the deadline.
Because the townspeople have been trying to stop the construction, the local police department has set up some undercover cops within the construction crew in order to keep things under control and keep people safe. They suspect that there might be a few corrupt construction workers and are trying to weed them out.
You are all construction workers working on the new Wal-mart store. I, the moderator, am the foreman on the site. I’m asking you as your boss and friend to help me find the saboteurs. If you can manage to pick them out before the end of the week, we will have about a week left to finish the store before the deadline expires. If we can’t find the saboteurs before the end of the week, we most certainly won’t have enough time to finish the store and thus won’t be paid for the job. Please help me find these bad apples so we can be paid for our hard work. Good luck workers.

The workers who have been paid off are the “mafia” but for this game we will call them the “saboteurs.” There are five of them. There are two “doctors” and they won’t know each other or be allowed to work together this game. The doctors can only save each person once. The undercover cops are the “detectives” and there are three. They won’t know who they are this game either or be allowed to work together. The detectives will only be allowed to ask about one person a night and the doctors will still only be able to save one person a night. I will not reveal who is saved.
One of the new things I’d like to try this game is to not have anyone die. When the saboteurs strike, they will only disable their victim(s). This will enable the second new spin; people can come back to the game after the saboteurs have struck. When the construction workers vote it will be to fire someone from the job. However, when the workers vote their say is final. The person fired will not be coming back. The workers still need a majority vote in order to fire someone. There are 20 people now so for the first vote you will need 11 for a majority.
The third spin will be when the victims come back. If the saboteurs choose, they can pick one victim in a “night” period and that one person will be incapacitated for five “day” periods and then be allowed back into the game. The saboteurs will also be allowed to choose to have two different victims in one “night” period though. If they choose this, then their victims will only be disabled for three “day” periods each before coming back. This could be helpful for the saboteurs, or detrimental. They will have to decide. I will email the victims to let them know when they can play again.
The workers will have nine “day” periods to weed out the saboteurs. If even just one saboteur is still alive by the end of that period, they win. If the workers manage to fire them all before the seventh day, then they win.
If you have any questions, please ask. I want to start playing tomorrow so please ask your questions soon.
We’d like to welcome some of Jason’s family who are playing with us this time. I hope you all will enjoy playing with the Hutchinson family.

DAY 6: the end of an era

It didn't take long for the town to decide that Eric was a con man, a fake, and a really good one. He had tricked them for days, but now, thanks to Shirley's senseless death, Eric was voted out.

While the town dragged Eric down to the ocean he didn't even squirm. He faced his death like a man, proud of the way he had conducted himself. He chanted the mafia motto for all to hear, "Take take take, you'll get what you deserve! TAKE TAKE TAKE, you'll get what you DESERVE!" When they finally reached the ocean, Eric was dropped in an area well known for housing jellyfish. The citizens turned their backs on him as he was repeatedly stung.

Jay, at the conclusion of Eric's execution, proclaimed Matthew the last mafia. The town audibly gasped (all except for Emily who mumbled I told you so under her breath) and turned to face Matthew. Matthew, shocked that his identity was known, immediately fled the scene. Nobody in the town could catch him. They discovered days later that the town submarine was gone, Matthew had obviously put it to good use.

Wakananababoo was safe once again. Everyone returned to the beach and once again felt comfortable working on their deep bronze tans. Well, they were comfortable until the tsunami hit. Every citizen survived, but did Matthew and his submarine?

Good work, citizens! You uprooted the mafia once again! I decided to just end the game because we all knew what was going to happen anyway and I didn't want to wait 3 days for it to play out. It seems the mafia have a very tough job. Here were the roles:

Mafia: Matthew, Hillary, Alexis, Eric
Doctors: Merrit, Cortney (Very nice job, by the way, to both of you! They saved Kari the first time, and Jay the next two times.)
Detectives: Shirley, Jay

Jay, I'm sorry, but I already promised Jason he could moderate after Hillary. You can do it after him (if we all are still wanting to play by then). I will email her all of your email addresses, so be looking for something from her soon. Her email is alemermak@yahoo.com (it will say Charlie Hicks).

DAY 5: in the clinic

When the mayor came to, it was the middle of the next day. She woke up in the town clinic hooked up to a heart monitor and a small bandage wrapped around her head. Her headache indicated she had taken a hard fall. Apparently someone found her in her mother's house and carried her there. She heard a low moan from behind the sheet that separated her from the next bed. "Hello?" she called. "Do you need me to call a nurse?" The only reply was more muffled moans.

When the nurse arrived, the mayor asked about the person in the next bed. The nurse indicated she couldn't reveal who it was due to patient confidentiality laws, and told the mayor they couldn't speak anyway as their mouth had been sewn shut by some sick criminal. The nurse did reveal that a retired doctor, wearing all black and a stethoscope around their neck, carried the patient to the clinic to safety. The mayor knew it was one of the citizens of Wakananababoo, and was thankful both doctors were still alive.

Due to her confinement in the clinic, the mayor texted everyone in town on their cell phones and set up a virtual town meeting to discuss the next execution. She did not reveal what she knew about the mystery patient behind the sheet, but realized that texting would also enable them to participate in the vote. "Please," she wrote, "find the mafia and kill them, before we all lose are lives and, more importantly, Wakananababoo is permanently scarred by the opening of a Six Flags. Hurry!"

It is now DAY. The doctors have foiled the mafia's plans once again. There are still 11 citizens, which means 6 votes to kill. Good luck.

NIGHT 5: calling in for backup

Eric or Shirley, Eric or Shirley? The town had a hard time deciding and, in the end, they never did quite decide. The town was torn in two, some believing Eric and some believing Shirley. In the end they squeaked out a majority by one vote, Shirley was to be executed at dusk.

It was the mayor's job to ultimately sign off on how someone's death was to be executed. She was faced with a horrible dilemma. How do you respectfully kill the person who gave you life, especially when you aren't fully convinced of her guilt.

Wakananababoo was quite remote which made it imperative to have several evacuation plans in place in case of valcano erruption, earthquake or tsunami. The island had one submarine, two bomb shelters, and a small fleet of hot air balloons. Even though the mayor knew her mother was terrified of heights, she decided she would give her mother a fighting chance. At dusk Shirley was placed in a hot air balloon and released into the sunset. Tears flowed.

About an hour after her mother disappeared into the pink and orange horizon, the mayor was at her mother's house going through her things when she received a call. "Shirley Hutchinson? This is Detective Marshall with the FBI. I understand you need our help. Unfortunately we will be unable to come to Wakananababoo as our geologists tell us your island is in imminent danger due to..." The mayor didn't hear the rest of his explanation, her mother was obviously a detective, and she had fainted on the spot.

It is is now NIGHT. Those with night roles need to email me by midnight tonight. My poor mother...

DAY 4: Wakanana Crabs

The mayor woke up with a massive headache and her lungs burned. That hairspray really took a toll on her. The sun had just started creeping up over the horizon and she began rubbing her eyes. Everyone left in town was still laying there after the group fainting, a few seemed to just begin to stir. The mayor finally was able to open her eyes, stand up and survey the scene. She noticed footprints going to and from the hut, and what appeared to be a long mark of something (or someone) being dragged in the sand.

A few yards away the mayor discovered a large hole filled with Wakanana Crabs. Wakanana Crabs were known for their fatal pinchers. They had been known to kill entire villages by swarming them and then pinching the bodies until they bled to death. These crabs, however, appeared to be peacefully sleeping. This certainly was unusual. She took a stick, moved a few crabs around, and found a bottle laying at the bottom of the pit: Prescription Sleeping Pills.

One of the undercover doctors had been successful, the pit did not contain any bodies. The mafia had been thwarted once again!

It is now DAY until tomorrow at midnight. This game seems to be trickier than the last time, the doctors are having more success. Good luck, citizens!

NIGHT 4: disappear in a cloud of...hairspray?

It didn't take long for the town to decide who to kill. Mr. Jay, trusted by most in town, recommended Hillary's death and the majority of the town went along with him. Hillary declared her innocence, but her revelation fell on deaf ears.

The mayor went down to the local drugstore and picked up twelve bottles of hairspray. She returned to the beach where Hillary had been tied together with palm leaves, handed one bottle to each citizen, and counted down. "Three, two, one, GO!"

At first Hillary seemed quite unaffected by the fumes directed her way. We can assume her lungs had become quite accustomed to the toxins by the superior height of her lovely bangs. After nearly 15 minutes engulfed by the hairspray cloud, Hillary finally fell.

The town hurried over to her hut and did a quick search. Under the floorboards they discovered nearly 20 hollowed out coconuts, the communication tool of choice for the mafia of Wakananbaboo. The town cheered, and then they all fainted right there in Hillary's hut. It seems the lingering fumes were too much for them.

It is now NIGHT. Those with night roles should email me by tonight at midnight. As always, there is to be NO communciation during the night, on the blog or otherwise.

DAY 3: when push comes to shove

As they sailed back to Wakananababoo a deep sense of relief overwhelmed the town. Some spoke of Lexi's death as a "new beginning" for the town and were pleased with how this process seemed to unite the citizens. Others spoke of adventure and intrigue, yet nobody mentioned the word "fun." Killing off family members and neighbors definitely was NOT fun.

Once the ship approached the harbor, the men jumped off the ship. Traditionally it was the men's job to drag the ship in the last few feet and tie it to the dock. The mayor watched the deft hands of Jay, Matthew, Cortney, Eric and Merrit. They worked quickly, tying the knots they had all learned in Boy Scouts. She chuckled to herself about Jason's feelings for Boy Scouts, how he didn't enjoy it, how their kids would have to be encouraged by her instead...but wait, where was Jason?

She called to the men and they didn't know, she called to the other women on the ship and they didn't know. Jason was nowhere to be found. Did he fall overboard? They sailed back the direction they had come, dragged the ocean all night, and finally they found his lifeless body floating about 100 yards from where Alexis had jumped. He had been gagged to prevent him from screaming. When nobody else was looking, it was clear he had been pushed.

Dawn approached. It looked as if it would be a long day.

It is now DAY. You have until Sunday night to lynch someone. As Jason is now dead he can no longer comment. There are 12 people left, you need 7 to votes to execute.

NIGHT 3: Lexi's setting sun

The decision was reached under the rising sun, so the town thought it only fitting to kill Alexis under the dawning sun. Of course, this made it a VERY long day for poor little Alexis, sitting around, anticipating her death.

That afternoon the town loaded The Pearl, the only passenger boat on the island. She had five large sails and a wooden, singing mermaid carved on the bow. Some even said The Pearl resembled a pirate ship. Most of the town sat quietly on the ship praying Alexis really was mafia. They all knew how horrible they would feel if someone's life ended so early without reason.

As evening approached, Alexis was ordered onto the plank. Step by step she approached her death. As the sun dipped silently beneath the horizon, the ocean sparkled as if millions of tiny diamonds floated along its surface. It was almost as if the sea were calling her home. Without flinching Alexis stepped over the edge, and as the ship sailed away they could hear her small voice carried to them on the wind. "Good luck, mafia! Build that Six Flags! Avenge my death! I love you!"

It is now NIGHT. Those with night roles please email me by tonight at midnight. As Alexis is now dead, she may not comment. Rest In Peace Lexi, may your adventure under the sea be filled with music and many dinglehoppers and snarfblacks.

DAY 2: Sunrise Wednesday

The citizens of Wakananababoo gathered the next morning on the pier to watch the sunrise. It was a peaceful tradition of theirs they lovingly called Sunrise Wednesday. The sky was beautiful, full of magenta clouds and deep, dark orange beams of light. The scene reflected off of the ocean and made the sky appear twice as large and twice as soothing.

The mayor stumbled in, quite disheveled from spending the night on her entryway floor, and read the note aloud. Josh had been only a townie. Everyone hang their head low, ashamed at their folly and deeply saddened by the life taken without reason. They would miss him.

Once again the town looked out over the beautiful horizon, trying to find strength from the rising sun. But wait, several feet from the pier was a woman bobbing in the ocean. She had obviously been anchored in the shallow water and her dark brown hair spread out around her as if it were a halo. In an instant it was obvious who she was, for the only woman missing from Sunrise Wednesday was Deena.

It is now DAY. You have until Thursday at midnight to get 8 votes and execute someone. Please, townspeople, make it a mafia member this time!

NIGHT 2: the party begins!

You could feel the excitement in the air. As the women readied the Aloha Feast, the men began to dig. The barbeque pig was buried nearly four feet underground, on top of that hot coals, and on top of that more sand. Tonight the town spared no expense, they were executing Josh and helping free their town of one more villian. Tonight they would celebrate!

Once the pig was out of the pit and up on the five foot long roasting skewer, tears began rolling down the cheeks of the bound and gagged Future M.D. He was dropped into the hole, covered with the smoldering white ash of the coals and then buried in the sand.

The town enjoyed their luau that night, certain that mafia had been killed. Emily, Sarah, Hillary and Deena hula danced for everyone, Matthew tried out his newest stand-up comedy routine, Jason gave everyone free eye exams on stage, Cortney showed off his newest gymnastics move (a standing back-tuck), and Jay and Merrit went head to head in a heated debate on the advantages/disadvantages of universal healthcare. The pig was delicious and they all felt a little safer.

They mayor returned to her hut very late that evening, grinning rather stupidly, for she had drank a little too much of the sparkling grape juice. She opened her door and tripped on something small and round. A coconut! She grabbed the brown sphere and uncurled the enclosed note. It read, "Four of us are still alive. The mafia continue to thrive. Thanks for the party, it was nice to jive!" The mayor, slightly inebriated and shocked by this news, fainted on the spot.

It is now NIGHT. Those with night roles need to email me by midnight tonight. There is to be no communication on the blog or otherwise, except for the four remaining mafia. As Josh is now dead, he can no longer comment.

DAY 1: a miraculous save

After an unusually long night, the town met on the beach. After a quick game of volleyball in the white sand, they got down to business.

The mayor thought it her duty to let everyone know the mafia were actively attempting to kill the townspeople. She saw a trap that was set last night, but the attempt was thwarted by one of the doctors. They mayor didn't know who the trap was sent for, only that somebody owed his or her life to the magnificent skills of a most intelligent doctor.

At about noon the townspeople all went for a dip in the ocean, and that's when the discussion began...

It is now DAY until Monday at midnight. For this game, I have chosen not to reveal the names of people who are saved by the doctor(s). I think this will give the mafia an extra advantage that they desperately need. Also, because there are two doctors, they won't know which one did the saving and everyone could potentially be saved twice--once by one doctor and then by the other one.

NIGHT 1: extended

This night will be extended until Saturday at midnight, Central Time. I haven't heard from all the night roles and want to give everyone a chance to jump on the bandwagon. PLEASE, night roles, EMAIL ME.

NIGHT 1: happiness on the island

The residents of Wakananababoo, Hawaii were generally a happy bunch. They had moved there for rest and relaxation, fun in the sun, and to get deep, bronze tans. They enjoyed spending time together learning how to hula and eat fire. Their nights were spent on the beach telling stories about Easter egg hunts on Grandma's hill and those delicious buttermilk pancakes. They lived a good life.

There were four citizens, however, who dreamed of something more. These four dark souls were determined to open a tropical Six Flags on their island. They wanted money money money and tourists were the way to acheive this goal. They attempted to blackmail the mayor through secret notes sent in hollowed-out coconuts. The mayor would have none of their dark ways, and she refused their requests, much to their chagrin. They threatened to kill off the townspeople of Wakananababoo one by one until their wish was granted.

The mayor was hopeful, however. She knew the residents would discover the identities of these four troublemakers, with the help of two undercover detectives and two undercover doctors, they would catch the mafia and bring peace and happiness back the island.

It is now NIGHT. Those with night roles should email me by midnight tonight with their responses. I send the role emails later than I thought, so if we need one more day, I think that's fair. As stated before, this time there are 4 mafia, 2 detectives and 2 doctors.

NIGHT 6: the ashes move heavenward

Angela’s house was in ruins. After the fire, all that remained were a few free-standing walls and a hodge-podge of charred furniture. The mayor decided the rest should be burned as well because ashes would be more cost effective to dispose of then demolition and carting the items to a junkyard.

The townspeople dragged their feet to the next town meeting, most of them were getting quite tired of the murders, convictions, and executions. And Jeff? Who knows, they hadn’t seen or heard from him in days. During the meeting, many of the citizens kept quiet, afraid to convict the wrong person again (Jim’s death by ketchup was still fresh in their memories). Once Shirley, the remaining detective, disclosed her information on Deena, the votes came flying in and Deena was convicted.

Deena tried to defend herself but her lies were flimsy and wearing thin on the nerves of the town. With every last shred of mercy gone, the town lit the fire on Angela’s house, bound Deena’s limbs and threw her onto the burning inferno. As they watched the ashes ride heavenward on the breeze, a new sense of freedom overwhelmed the town, and those remaining wept for joy.

Great job, Citizens! You have outsmarted the mafia and are safe! Here were the night roles:

Mafia: Kari, Sarah, Deena
Detectives: Jason, Mom
Doctor: Eric

My question is now, who would like to play again? Angela said that her husband Cortney, Emily, and possibly Matthew would play. I know Sadie said she wanted to as well. Which of you would be interested in another game? If we have at least 10 people we can play again. Let me know and I'll get one set up this week.

DAY 5: blanket of rain

It was a stormy Saturday morning. Rain drummed against the windows, thunder growled in the sky, and Sooty was still sleeping. The hardworking townspeople wanted as long of an escape as possible from their horrific reality. Their family members were dying.

A little ways out of town, however, the last remaining mafia member had been busy. Because of the thunder nobody heard the house explode in the middle of the night. Because of the sheets of rain nobody saw the flames as they were quickly extinguished. Because of the power outage nobody received Angela’s futile attempt at dialing 911 when she suspected someone outside, plotting her murder.

It is now DAY. There are 10 citizens left, you need 6 to convict. I’m sorry that Angela is dead, I could tell she was really enjoying this game. RIP Angela. This day will end on Sunday at midnight.

NIGHT 5: a new monument for Sooty

The town quickly came to a decision to kill Sarah on that sunny spring day. So sure was the town of Sarah’s identity that Charlie, the town’s best artisan, was commissioned to build a monument in celebration of this wonderful, glorious occasion.

Charlie got to work right away, laying each brick, adding the mortar, and then decorating the brick with a blue and green tile mosaic. It was beautiful.

Before the top of the monument was sealed, Sarah was lowered inside. She was given a loaded gun, a syringe full of poison, and her favorite meal (at her request) of fried chicken, collard greens, and carrot cake.

Once inside, Charlie added on top the bust of Al Capone that he had sculpted from pink marble. As he laid the last brick Sarah peeked out and, with tears in her eyes, thanked the town for honoring her by having the world’s most famous gangster watch over her in death. She had only been trying to be like him.

It is now NIGHT. Those with night roles need to email me by midnight tonight. There is to be no communication on the blog, or otherwise.

DAY 4: a celebration?

POP! FIZZZ! BANG! BANG! SSPPPZZ! BANG BANG!

The mayor jumped out of bed and ran to her window in alarm. Red, green, blue and orange lit up the sky. Fireworks? What the heck? As far as she knew March 26th was NOT a holiday, not in Sooty, not anywhere, and yet she couldn’t help but enjoy them.

The mayor put on her bathrobe, made a bowl of steamy hot oatmeal, and decided to sit out on her front porch and enjoy the display. This wasn’t the first time someone in Sooty got creative celebrating a birthday or anniversary, and she was happy to be a partial recipient of such a great gift. With such horrible events happening in town of late, it was nice to be able to take a break and actually smile again.

Eventually the fireworks were over and the mayor got dressed. On her way to work she decided she would stop by the center of town and make sure the entertainers had cleaned up after themselves. She was surprised to see all the townspeople there, huddled around something, and whispering amongst themselves. Once they spotted her, the town slowly stepped aside to reveal Jason’s lifeless body. The mafia had used his body as the platform for lighting off those hundreds of fireworks, and the entire town had enjoyed the show. Her husband, a not-so-under-cover detective, was dead. The mayor fainted again. (At least he went out with a BANG!)

It is now DAY. You have until Thursday at midnight to root out the mafia. We NEED a majority! I want to remind y’all not to discuss it unless on the blog (unless you’re dead, of course).

NIGHT 4: what a waste

Kurt’s death threw the town of Sooty for a loop. Nobody expected it and it had the townspeople walking around in a mist of confusion. The day dragged on and on and on and on and on.

Everybody left the mines early to discuss who should be killed that night, but the town was unable to come together and agree. Several townspeople waited until the last minute to vote, but Robabins sat there, lips pursed, mystified that this was happening at all. He refused to cast a vote, still not sure who had been working with Kari the night of his cobra nightmare.

The mayor pleaded with the town, but her cries were useless. Nobody was executed because the town could not get a majority vote and everyone eventually just went home, dejected and scared. With two mafia members still on the loose, it was anyone’s guess as to what would happen next…

It is now NIGHT. Those with night roles need to email me by midnight tonight. I beg of you, PLEASE EMAIL ME. The town needs you!

DAY 3: crushed into silence

It was morning, and after Kari's identity was discovered, a new hope hung in the air. The mayor, on her way the her office, passed by one of the mining shafts and noticed a pair of glasses on the ground. She picked them up and recognized them as Kurt's. After putting them in her pocket, she continued on.

She tried calling him from her office, but there was no answer. During lunchtime, she decided to meet him down at the mines. When she arrived she was told that he hadn't shown up that day. It was strange, too, seeing as how Kurt LOVED going to work in the mines, there was nothing he'd rather do! A search was started and it wasn't long before they found his broken body pinned underneath a large boulder in the back of the mining shaft. The mafia had done it again.

The remaining townspeople stopped working for the day and attended an emergency meeting. It was imperative to catch another mafia member today.

It is now DAY until Friday at midnight, tentatively. I may extend the day depending on how much input we get from the players. My parents are visiting Grandma this weekend and won't have easy access to the internet, they're visiting for Noah's blessing, which will probably keep Eric from playing much. Heather's grandma just passed away yesterday (please keep her in your prayers) and her and Kurt will be attending the funeral and other things which will keep her busy, as well. We'll just see how it goes. This day may extend through Saturday. As Kurt is now dead, he can no longer comment.

NIGHT 3: thrown to the wolves

Being a mining town, the people of Sooty were extremely hard-working. They would work in the mines all day, go home to wash up, and then spend the rest of the evening with their families. They didn’t have time for many hobbies, but it was important for them to have an escape from the daily grind.

A couple years back the town decided it would be fun to open a zoo. There wasn’t much money to go around, so the men went out into the mountains and captured a pack of wolves, put them in a fenced-in field, and the Sooty Zoo officially opened. The wolves became their one and only exhibit.

After a long debate that day, the townspeople voted for Kari. She seemed an unlikely suspect: new mother, devoted wife, friendly neighbor. In the end, however, her own husband even turned against her.

She was sedated and given anesthesia, so as to not feel any pain, and released into the zoo. Hours later a can of Cobra Feed was found near her remains—the first mafia member was dead.

It is now NIGHT until midnight tonight. Please email me, night role players!

DAY 2: a miracle!

It had been a long night for the town. Jim’s senseless death weighed heavily on the citizens of Sooty. For some, however, it had been an extremely long night, one that would no doubt go down in the history books of West Virginia.

Jeff Robbabins was found in his bed that morning, pale as a ghost, with small bandages placed over most of his body. Next to his head on the pillow was a baby food jar, full of a light green fluid. On the wall next to his closet was a sword with a blue, jewel-crested handle stabbed through the middle of a King Cobra. Jeff was alive, but barely.

As Jeff retold the story, it became clear that not only was Sooty fortunate enough to have an undercover world-class doctor, the doctor appeared to be some kind of ninja and avid Animal Planet viewer. The mafia had locked Jeff alone in his room with the snake, and after being bitten multiple times, the doctor appeared (in a mask, of course). After wrestling the snake, it was stabbed several times with the ninja sword and then the doctor proceeded to suck the venom out of every hole on Jeff’s body. A miracle!

With this most recent attempt on a citizen’s life, it was time for the town to put their heads together and convict a mafia member. Who would want the newest member of the Hutchinson clan dead?

It is now DAY. Let’s get voting! You have until midnight on Tuesday. As there are now 14 townpeople, you still need 8 to convict.

NIGHT 2: those who are silent are killed

The hour following the discovery of Bill’s severed hand was chaotic, to say the least. Jim, probably because he was the one to open the box, went in to hysterics. He pulled his hair and shouted for several minutes about finding out the killers, voted for Kurt in a moment of confusion, and then sat completely still, obviously numb, on his chair. The mayor had fainted, and because the doctor was undercover, nobody checked her to make sure she was OK. They simply left her lying there.

The meeting happened quite quickly. With the mayor on the floor, Jay took it upon himself to take over the meeting. He deftly counted and recounted the votes, urged those with little to say to participate, and ultimately achieved a majority vote. The town voted for Jim. With Jim still in shock at his table, he didn’t have the power to defend himself. The town understood his silence as an admission of guilt.

Jim was taken out behind the restaurant. Two large vats of ketchup were carried beside him. Knowing Jim’s love for Heinz, it was decided this would at least be somewhat merciful. The townspeople poured the ketchup down his throat, ounce after ounce, until his eyes rolled back and his lifeless was body was all that was left. After the execution was finished, two people swore they heard Jimmy mutter quietly to himself as he was being dragged outside, “On my honor as a Boy Scout, I did NOT kill my father.” After a thorough search of his home that night, they found out it was true. The town had murdered an innocent townie.

It is now NIGHT. There is to be no communication on the blog or otherwise. Those with night roles need to email me by midnight tonight. As Jim is now dead, he may not comment.

DAY 1: I'm so glad when Daddy comes home

One by one the citizens entered Grandpa Karl’s Grill. Some shuffled their feet, others mumbled to themselves under their breath, but nobody dared look each other in the eye. The bright lights of the restaurant were in sharp contrast to the mood of the occupants.

After everyone had taken a seat at one of the large, family-style tables, the mayor began the meeting. She started by explaining what a difficult task lay ahead. They must decide together, right here and now, who is in the mafia and execute them.

Just to be sure everyone had arrived and their voice could be heard, the mayor did a head count. “One, two, three, four,” she called in her loudest voice, “...eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen.” Fifteen? Just to be sure, Mayor Hair counted again. Yes, one person was missing, but who? Just then someone pointed out a small box tucked snugly under a booth in the corner of the dining area. The box was sealed with what appeared to be yards and yards of black duct tape. Several of the men, wanting to appear brave, stepped forward. Jim, using his Eagle Scouting skills, cut through the tape with his jack knife and gasped. The rest of the townspeople crowded around-- the mayor fainted. Inside was a severed left hand, and on the fourth finger a thin band of gold. It was Bill’s wedding ring, Bill’s hand, and Bill was obviously the mafia’s first victim.

It was now more crucial than ever to convict one of the correct people today. They must avenge Bill, an innocent townie.

It is now DAY. As Bill is now dead, he cannot comment. Those still remaining need to determine who is mafia and vote for them in the comments. A majority is needed to execute. As there are 15 players remaining, you need at least 8 votes for one person. The day is 48 hours, until midnight on Saturday.

NIGHT 1: heartbreaking news

It was late on a windy Wednesday evening. With the little ones in bed, the rest of the citizens of Sooty, WV sat around in their living rooms, getting ready to watch the 10 o’clock news.

“Breaking news,” they heard blast across the screen, “we have just received confirmation that three members of the West Virginia Mafia are still hiding in our town. Mayor Hair has declared war upon these famously blood-thirsty killers. There will be a town meeting held tomorrow evening at Grandpa Karl’s Grill where all townspeople are expected to exterminate the mafia and restore peace to Sooty.”

Each townsperson looked at those sitting next to them. Was it their brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, husband or wife? Were those callused hands the hands of a killer? Only time would tell…

It is now NIGHT. Those with night roles need to email me by MIDNIGHT tomorrow. There is to be no communication, on the blog or otherwise, except for the mafia so they can determine who to murder tonight. Check the blog after midnight tomorrow to see who dies. You may then comment and decide who is mafia and who you want to execute.

FYI: Because we have so many players, there are 3 MAFIA, 2 DETECTIVES, and 1 DOCTOR.

The Rules of the Game

We will have at least two mafia members, possibly more depending on how many people decide to play. Every night (24 hours real time) the mafia is going to murder someone. Every day (48 hours real time) the townies will try to lynch a mafia member.

RULES:
*No personal attacks.
*No communicating in any way except by adding comments to posts unless you are a mafia member.

ROLES: Roles will be chosen randomly
*Mafia member-- members of the mafia are aware of each other and conspire each night to kill someone.
*Detective-- a townie with a special ability. Each night the detective can e-mail me with the name of someone in town and I will reveal their role. The detective may reveal him or herself at any time, but be forewarned that the mafia will probably kill them shortly thereafter.
*Doctor-- a townie with a special ability. Each night the doctor e-mails me a person to be saved. If the mafia were to kill that person, the doctor would save his or her life. The doctor can only save each person one time during the game including him or herself.

ROLE RULES:
*Only mafia members may communicate with each other privately, and then only during "night." Please keep this through e-mail or cell phone (calling home phones may give away your role).
*The Doctor and Detective may not communicate privately (even if the Detective finds out who the Doctor is).
*All night role responses must be sent to me via email during the 24 hour period known as "night." (Mafia members email me who they're going to murder, doctor emails me who he's going to save, detective emails me about which person's role he wants to find out.) Don't call as I have a husband at home who might be very interested to know why someone is calling.

NIGHT RULES:
*No Talking or communicating in any way on the blog or otherwise (the only exception will be the two members of the mafia who are allowed to conspire at night to decide the murder).
*All role players (mafia, doctor, and detective) must send me an e-mail with their respective choices. hutchie_@hotmail.com

DAY RULES:
*All comments must be posted on the blog, no phone calls or private e-mails (even between mafia members). Husbands and wives must be very careful about this rule. It is difficult not to talk about the game, but very important in keeping the game fair.
*In order to execute, the town must have a majority vote. Majority means if there are twelve people left, you need seven votes to hang. Please vote as such-
VOTE: Papa Smurf

ROLE REVEAL:Roles will be revealed to the entire town at the time of the individual's death.

Any questions? Write a comment to this post.